Controversy erupted over the BJP's claims about an alleged Congress 'toolkit' aimed at defaming India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the Congress responding by calling it a 'fake toolkit' manufactured by the BJP and proceeding to file an FIR against various leaders of the saffron party, including party chief J.P. Nadda, spokesperson Sambit Patra, Union minister Smriti Irani and senior leader B.L. Santosh.
An FIR was filed by Rajeev Gowda, chairman, AICC research department, and Rohan Gupta, chairman, social media department of the AICC, in which it was stated that the BJP had allegedly forged the letterhead of Gowda's department and, thereafter, printed false and fabricated content on it. The Congress leaders alleged that the forgery was carried out in order to share the manufactured document from the verified Twitter handles of BJP leaders and other social media platforms with the intent to create communal disharmony and civil unrest in the country.
The FIR said the BJP functionaries have not only stooped to manufacture ‘fake documents’ to target the Congress but have also attempted to lower the image of India on various public platforms.
It was further alleged that Patra and Santosh, along with others, on the instructions of Nadda, prepared a forged and fabricated document, for which they also manufactured the AICC research department letterhead.
“The hidden agenda of this team of fraudsters was to divert the attention from the Modi government's mammoth failure in providing necessary aid to the people of India amidst the current pandemic,” the Congress leaders said in the FIR.
The alleged forgery and tweeting of the document in question by BJP leaders was described by the Congress as a pre-planned conspiracy put into action with criminal intent in order to spark unrest in the country and also to spread fake news against the Congress.
It was stated in the FIR that the allegedly fake material was put into wide circulation by various BJP leaders and ministers under the Twitter hashtag #CongressToolkitExposed.
It was also stated that the BJP leaders named in the FIR were liable to be prosecuted under relevant sections of the IPC and IT Act.
Patra had earlier tweeted about the alleged Congress toolkit, saying it was clear that the opposition party extending help to people during the pandemic was more of a public relations exercise with the help of friendly journalists and influencers rather than a soulful endeavour.
He claimed that the Congress, in keeping with the toolkit, has instructed its social media volunteers to call the new mutant strain of COVID-19 the “Modi strain” or the “India strain”.
“Disgusting to say the least Rahul Gandhi wants to use this opportunity of pandemic to destroy the image of Prime Minister Modi. Congress workers instructed to call the mutant strain as Modi strain,” he said on Twitter.